The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-02-04
awful; and I'm sure our set will cut

| MAY Jayne, you are acting too silly
for any use,'' cried Alice; but Bee stole
to her sisters side, and putting her
arm around her said:
"You don't need to, May, dear. ]
know its harder for you than for the
rest. We-can do your part, too, so don t
fret about it.
| May looked up with a smile through
| her tears, and said, as she kissed Bees
loving face: s.You little rogue! you
know how to manage your old sister,
| don't you? Well, girls, and she sighed,
although she tried to laugh. I'm
with you, and if society and our friends
drop US, why we'll have to stay
dropped, that's all.
''Our friends won't do any such
thing" said Alice, earnestly. ..And
as we are tired of society, it won't hurt
us very badly to be dropped for time.
I'm SO weary of this sort of thing she
added, swinging her arms around,
"that if this way hadn't opened be-
lieve I'd have hired out as a wash
woman or a scrub-girl.'
sob, Alice don'tr' and May put up
her hands in horror. Ida, seeing the
talk was ended, crept off to bed, leav-
ing Bee to do likewise, while Alice lay
awake planning the new life before
them, upon which with all the ardor of
her strong nature, she fairly longed to
enter, as much as her prouder sister
May dreaded it.
The next morning the four girls met
at the breakfast-table with their father
and mother, an unusual occurrence in
that family, especially after being out
late the night before, as were both
Alice and May, while Ida and Bee were
up as late, if not out at a reception.
Breakfast, therefore, was very pleas
ant meal, for the girls laughed and
chatted as if they hadn't a care in the
world, and their good spirits were so
contagious that both Papa and Mamma
Jayne felt enlivened and ready for the
days work and worries when they at
! AUOc iOoO AlOu1 JIG
| "Papa," said Alice, as her father
opened the door to let his girls pass out
ahead of himself and mamma. 1--WE
wish to see you in the library for a few
minutes. Mamma may come, too"
she added with smile, as her mother
looked from one beaming face to the
other to read the secret.
| So the procession of six marched in
stately manner to the library and en-
tered, Alice closing the door after her.
Nov, Beef she said, when they
were all seated, with Bee on her
fathers knee, mamma at his right
hand, Ida at his left, and Alice and
May near by.
" You tell replied Bee. modestly,
hiding her face on her fathers shout
der.
Alice laughed. That's just like
Bee. Well, never mind, only let me
state in the first place that it is all her
doings. She thought and planned the
whole thing, and we have simply
promised to aid her, but let me also
add that we are glad to do So" and
she gave both Bee and Papa Jayne one
of her warm, bright smiles.
"What can it mean?" queried papa,
looking about him with the air of a
man who had been caught in a trap,
all unknown to himself.
"Wait and see," replied mamma,
calmly, having unlimited confidence in
her four girls, and their capabilities.
"lt means just this continued
Alice. "Bee has been telling us about
the business, and how some of your
help have struck for higher wages,
and, wishing to aid you, dear papa,
and to really be of some use in this
busy world, have come to propose our
services in place of the clerks that have
struck. We want you to send them
| away at once, and until business starts
| up again we will fill their places to the
best of our abilities. +" And Alice
stopped, with little choke in her
voice, while Papa Jayne took out his
handkerchief and actually cried, with
mamma and the girls to keep him COM
pany. But that didn't last long, and,
when papa emerged from his handker-
chief, with a red and beaming face, he
could only cry;
"Bless you, my dear daughters, you
have taken a load from me that was fast
pulling me to the ground"
Then followed one of those delightful
home scenes, when every one talked at
once, and nobody understood what any
body else said, but all came out at the
end feeling that there was nothing so
beautiful in this life as love, after all,
and that they had never half loved or
appreciated each other before. After
which papa and his new clerks came to
terms in most business-ike way, and
he departed to the store to send his
striking book-keeper and clerks away,
walking as if he were fve-and-twenty
instead of five-and-sixty years of age.
When he was gone, the girls flew
around like madcaps, donning their
plainest street-suits and strongest shoes
in place of their dainty morning gowns
and kid slippers, while mamma offered
assistance in a bewildered manner.
feeling that her flock was about to take
wings and fly away, never to come back
again.
"What will you do about your stories,
deare" she asked Ida, anxiously, as she
helped her into her jacket.
"Let them grow for a time, while 1
live one out myself" she answered,
laughing gayly.
"And your painting, dear child?''
she said to May, tying her heavy vail
over her rosy cheeks to keep their
freshness from the prying spring wind.
''It will do it good to rest awhile,
and I'll paint all the better after this
new experience, replied the daughter,
giving the kind old face, so full of in
terest in her girls, a loving pat